Bridgeland Community is an master-planned community under construction in unincorporated Harris County, Texas to the northwest of Houston between U.S. Highway 290 and Interstate 10. Bisecting Bridgeland is Segment E of the Grand Parkway, a 15.2-mile thoroughfare that broke ground in 2011 and opened in December 2013. Planned for 20,000 homes and approximately 65,000 residents, Bridgeland is being developed by The Howard Hughes Corporation, which also develops The Woodlands, Columbia, and Summerlin. Bridgeland was named Community of the Year in 2009 by the National Association of Home Builders and was Developer of the Year in 2011 by the Texas Association of Builders. History Bridgeland is located along the eastern boundary of the Katy Prairie and traversed by a portion of the Cypress Creek riparian corridor. In the mid-1800s, European settlers began to establish small farms within the Katy Prairie, growing corn, potatoes and cotton and raising cattle. The land primarily became used for rice farming during the 1940s and through the next two decades. After rice production ceased, the fields were converted to improved pastures to provide foraging areas for cattle. Approximately 10,167 acres were purchased for development in 2003 and sales of new homes in Bridgeland began in 2006. An addition of 1,234 acres acquired in 2007 increased the development's total acreage to 11,401 acres. Geography Bridgeland consists of 11,401 acres of flat to gently rolling terrain in northwest Harris County. It is located on and along the eastern margins of the Katy Prairie. The property's northern boundary abuts the Cypress Creek Corridor. In addition to Cypress Creek, other existing natural and constructed features of note include Mallard Lake and Ramey Lake, Longenbaugh Pond, Langham Creek and the K-150 Canal. Developers follow a detailed conservation plan to protect the area's natural features, many of which are being incorporated into the community's amenity plan. The Bridgeland master plan details 3,000 acres of open and/or recreation space, including 900 acres of lakes. Recreation Bridgeland's master plan provides for abundant recreational choices for residents. Already open is the first of four planned recreation complexes — Lakeland Activity Center, which includes a freeform pool, junior Olympic-size pool, spray park, tower slides and diving platforms, as well as tennis courts, a playground and a 6,000-square-foot clubhouse that offers meeting rooms and a full fitness center. More than 60 miles of trails are planned for the community, with many miles already open, including the first